Kāinga Ora enables a men's respite house in Gisborne

The respite house - Whare Ahuru - is a time-out space for men who are struggling to maintain a violence-free lifestyle. It is a pilot, with Kāinga Ora providing a house adapted to meet the service provider’s needs.

Gisborne’s Tauawhi Men’s Centre and Tairāwhiti Men Against Violence have long had a vision of opening of a respite house for men.

Tim Marshall, Tauawhi Men’s Centre coordinator said in the Gisborne Herald, “The pilot takes a different approach to addressing family harm. If it’s the man who is being unsafe towards his family, it makes more sense for him to come away so that his partner and children can stay where they are. The traditional model is for Women’s Refuge to provide a space for women and children, but this often means leaving their home for something they are not responsible for.”

Te Puni Kokiri and local iwi Te Runanganui o Tūranganui a Kiwa are funding the lease and the service. Tauawhi Men’s Centre manages the lease and delivers the support service. “Tauawhi Whare Ahuru is a space that men can come to for a few days until it’s safe to return home. Ideally it will develop into a space that men can access in a preventative sense, before violence and/or police intervention occurs,” Tim added.

Tauawhi Charitable Trust were able to open their Whare Ahuru with the support of Kāinga Ora community group housing, in particular supported housing regional lead Bonnie. “This really was a team effort with Tauawhi putting in the hard mahi to achieve this excellent outcome, says Bonnie. “I am stoked for our tāne, whānau and hapori to have this service available in Tairāwhiti.”

Pictured above outside Tauawhi Whare Ahuru are (from left) Tauawhi Men’s Centre coordinator Tim Marshall, Kāinga Ora general manager national services Nick Mailing, manager supported housing delivery Naomi Price, director supported housing Karla Fisher and supported housing regional lead Bonnie Moana, Tauawhi trustee and patron Ralph Walker, Tauawhi Whare Ahuru kaitiaki Moetahi Kennedy, Coby Te Pairi of Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou, David Johnstone of Tauawhi Men’s Centre and Tauawhi Whare Ahuru kaitiaki, Curtis Bristowe of Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou and Tauawhi Whare Ahuru project manager Kim Torrez. Thanks Gisborne Herald for the photo.